The Gambling Commission has sent licensees a reminder regarding the regulation governing the availability of gaming machines, telling operators that equipment such as tablets “must be available for customer use without staff assistance.”
The Gambling Commission has written to licensees regarding the availability of gaming machines in land-based venues, reiterating to operators that gaming equipment “must be available for customer use without staff assistance.”
In its fortnightly e-bulletin, the Commission urged licence holders to reacquaint themselves with guidance originally published in October 2019 that requires players to be able to readily access machines listed for use.
“Operators are reminded that all gaming machines, including but not limited to tablets offering gaming machine content, must be available for customer use without staff assistance,” said the Commission.
“If you rely on tablets to meet your category B machine requirements under the 20 percent rule, those tablets must be freely accessible to customers. Tablets stored in locked or secured cabinets that require staff assistance are not considered available for use under our guidance. This practice may place you in breach of Section 172 of the Gambling Act 2005.”
The guidance states that more than the permitted number of machines may be physically located on a premises, however the licensee must ensure that no more than the permitted number are “available for use” at any one time.
To ensure compliance, the Commission advised licensees to review how tablets are made available on your premises, and ensure that customers can access and use tablets independently, without staff involvement.
Where security is a concern, the guidance states operators should “explore alternative solutions that maintain compliance with availability requirements.”
“Maintaining proper availability is essential to meeting your statutory obligations and avoiding regulatory action.”
Originally published on Coinslot on January 26, 2026. Republished with permission.